The Bentley Continental Supersports

This is a photo of the Bentley Continental Supersports: the fastest, most powerful car ever built by the manufacturer.

Based on the Continental GT, the two-seater is powered by a 621bhp 6.0-litre W12 engine that has 590lbft of pulling power, which blasts the car from 0-62mph in 3.9sec and to a top speed of 204mph.

That's 3.5% more power and 6.7% more pull than the Continental GT Speed.

The engine runs either on petrol or bioethanol, and highlights Bentley's pledge to ensure that all of its cars can be powered using renewable fuels by 2012.

It has a Quickshift automatic gearshift that halves gearchange times, and a wider rear track to improve stability. Other performance enhancing features include retuned steering, suspension, dampers and anti-roll bars.

Bentley has put an emphasis on weight reduction, using lightweight 20-inch alloy wheels, carbon ceramic brakes and weight-saving materials throughout, all of which make the Supersports 100kg lighter than the Continental GT Speed.

Exterior styling changes have been introduced to both make the car look more aggressive and to improve airflow into the engine's intercoolers and cooling system.

Inside, the car features sports seats and carbonfibre trim to emphasise its sporty nature. The rear seats have been replaced by a stowage deck and luggage-retaining beam.

The Continental Supersports, which takes its name from the original two-seater built by Bentley in 1925, will be unveiled at next week's Geneva motor show and go on sale in the autumn.